A Critical Analysis Of Howl By Allen Ginsberg
Over the decades, art has been used as a weapon against the callousness of various social constructs - it has been used to challenge authority, to counter ideologies, to get a message across and to make a difference. In the same way, classical poetry and literature written by minds belonging to a different time, a different place and a different community have somehow found a way to transcend the boundaries set by time and space and have been carried through the ages to somehow seep into contemporary times and shape our society in ways we cannot fathom.
Widely recognized as an American classic, Howl by Allen Ginsberg of The Beat Generation is a poem that managed to have a powerful influence on the American society in the 50s - the impact of which can be felt even today, world over. The Beat Generation was a group of writers that emerged in the 50s with one goal in mind - to challenge conventional thinking, to purge the society of materialism and to encourage liberal thinking and non-conformity. These Columbia University students were strongly influenced by the Romantic, Surrealist and Modernist movements and their work is a clear reflection of it. Howl is raw, powerful poem that when read out loud, seems to take form of Allen’s stream of consciousness - it’s an energetic composition emulating a frantic cry for change; a cry describing the suffering of a group of outcasts; a portrayal of a sense of rebellion. Allen starts off the poem by expressing his deep sorrow at the
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